The UN says the rise in attacks targeting Jews, along with other groups targeted because of their race or religion, is a matter of grave concern, and urges all governments to redouble their efforts to combat racism and related intolerance in all its forms.

“Think about your policies, practices and actions, not to just look back at the past, but to ask what can we do today?” These are the reflections of Judith Roberts, director for Racial Justice Ministries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Belgium must recognise the violence and injustice of its colonial past in order to tackle the root causes of present-day racism faced by people of African descent, says a group of UN human rights experts at the end of a visit to the country.

The top United Nations rights official has warned political leaders who stoke fear and intolerance among their followers for the sake of their own ambitions are merely copying the behaviour of previous generations of once strong, but ultimately catastrophic, leaders and politicians.

To tolerate in the sense of acknowledging that different experiences are likely to produce different outcomes, and that without the experience, we should tread the paths of judgement with great care, is wise and charitable, says Jill Segger. This forbearance is perhaps better perceived as humility than as tolerance.